Livestock and K96,000 paid as compensation

By ELIAS LARI
A TOTAL of K96,000 in cash, 82 pigs, two cows, a cassowary and a goat were paid as compensation for the death of two men in Western Highlands last year.
The compensation was paid on Saturday by the Woinnamb clan of the Ukuni Muiwo tribe from Baiyer in the Mul-Baiyer electorate of Western Highlands.
The death of the two men was related to the burning down of the Professional Accelerate Institute (PAI) school of community health workers (CHW) in Mt Hagen.
Western Highlands police commander Chief Superintendent Joe Puri, who witnessed the compensation at Rauna village in Baiyer, commended both parties for restoring peace.
He said people needed to change their attitudes and focus on positive living.
PAI director Michael Wek Kerowa said even though the institution lost properties, he decided to pay the compensation to say sorry for the lives lost.
He said two deaths were a great loss to the families and he decided to pay compensation to restore peace.
Kerowa said he gave K8,000, nine pigs and a cow to relatives of Aaron Taket, one of the deceased.
He also gave another K6,000, six pigs and a cow to the relatives of Steven Koi, second deceased.
Kerowa said that compensation was the only way for people to reunite and for peace to be restored.